Iraq Elections

[Shyam]

The Iraq Elections are over, and it was conducted relatively peacefully. The voter turnout was 62%, slightly larger than America's turnout in 2008 presidential elections which was actually a 40 year high for Americans. I am sure I will make some mistakes here and there so feel free to correct me (looking at you shakermaker).

For people not following this, a rundown of the major factions.

Iraqi National Alliance.

Comprised of the Sadrist bloc (political arm of the hardline Shia militia Mahdi Army, who have battled Americans) and the Badr organisation has done poorly in this elections, except the Sadrists, who have 40 seats and may play the kingmakers, blowing open American claims that they are a spent force. However, their poor showing as a whole is an indication that Iraqis may have tired of the sectarian politics.

State Of Law Alliance

Headed by the current Prime Minister, Nouri al Maliki is now slightly ahead in the polls, with 89% counted. In the beginning of his tenure, he was seen as giving support to Shia militias, and as an ineffective Prime Minister. In the last two years he has grown into his role and has taken a harder line with terrorists and militias. In fact his main credibility and slogans refer to his hard stance on terrorists. Though he has transformed from a hardline Shiite to a moderate and has included Sunni candidates in his party, he still haven't managed to completely shake off the image of being a core Shiite candidate.


Al Iraqiya party

Headed by a secular Shiite, Iyad Allawi, a former Prime Minister has grown in popularity recently and the fact that the current Iraqi Prime Minister's party and the Al Iraqiya party is neck and neck is a testament to this. His is the only party that is seen as having a consistent secular stance and cross sectarianism. His harsh criticism of Iranian meddling in Iraq and his cross sectarian message has caused a majority of Sunnis to throw their weight behind him.


As mentioned before, with 89% of votes counted, State of Law party is ahead with 40,000 votes with the secular Al Iraqiya party a close second.

Nouri Al Maliki can form a coalition with the Sadrists, but they have demanded that the Prime Minister be not there for the second term. Also allying with the Sadrists could further alienate the Sunnis from him. Or he could form an alliance with Mr. Allawi. However the huge number of Sunnis who have thrown their weight behind him may be apprehensive.

Also there are also a large number of Kurdish parties that may be key here.

I was surprised at the voter turn out, despite the threat of suicide bombings and Mortar attacks.

 

[Solaris]

I like the Kurdish guy who was president for a while I think.

Either way, good to see Iraq is finally making the transition to a functioning democracy.

 

[Noodle]

I'm pretty sure they're all better than the previous dictator.

 

[Shyam]

I like the Kurdish guy who was president for a while I think.

Either way, good to see Iraq is finally making the transition to a functioning democracy.

Who ? Talabani ? What has he done that has impressed you ?

Also Talabani, heh, one word change from Talibani.

 

[unozero]

just like Obama=Osama


I KNEW IT.

 

[Danimal]

Tim Osman=Osama

 

[Eejit]

Osama = Osmosis?

 

[CptStern]

I'm pretty sure they're all better than the previous dictator.

and it only took the deaths of hundreds of thousands of iraqis to do it!

Either way, good to see Iraq is finally making the transition to a functioning democracy.

I wouldnt think you'd be all that pleased with how things turned out:

National Iraqi Alliance: The Alliance is mainly composed of Islamist parties .... In 1980 thousands of al-Dawa supporters were imprisoned or executed after advocating replacing Saddam Hussein's secular Ba'ath Party government with an Islamic government.


State of Law Allliance: State of Law Coalition was composed of several political blocs:

* Islamic Da'awa Party: a militant Shiite Islamic group that was involved in at least one terrorist bombing and, presently, an Iraqi conservative political party

the only secular alternative isnt all that great either:

Al Iraqiya party: Headed by a secular Shiite, Iyad Allawi...

Iyad Allawi: .. The Associated Press classified Allawi as "a moderate Shiite," and said he stood to gain support from Sunni voters as a "non-sectarian" candidate....

back in June 2004, it will be recalled, Allawi was reported personally to have shot and killed six handcuffed and blindfolded insurgents on a visit to a Baghdad police station in order to demonstrate to police that they need not fear to kill the enemy. -- The New York Times reported on Jun. 8, 2004, that the CIA recruited Allawi in the early 1990s and he that ran an exile organization called Iraqi National Accord that "sent agents into Baghdad . . . to plant bombs and sabotage government facilities under the direction of the CIA." ...

http://www.ufppc.org/us-a-world-new...aid-to-be-well-placed-in-iraqi-elections.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iyad_Allawi#The_Iraqi_National_Accord
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines04/0609-02.htm

 

[Shyam]

snip

I think it's obvious every faction has blood on their hands. The decision would be, who is the lesser devil here ?

 

[Solaris]

Stern, do you believe the transition in Iraq from dictatorship to democracy could ever have been supportable through an external invasion?

If so, how many civilian deaths in the process would you say is 'acceptable' to support that transition? Does it matter if it is militia's and 'terrorists' doing the killings deliberately rather than our own troops through 'collateral damage'.

Or would you be content to leave a genocidal state on its own till it collapses itself?

 

[Shyam]

and it only took the deaths of hundreds of thousands of iraqis to do it!

I think a lot of people agree that the invasion was a clusterf**k to begin with. The lesson should be learned from that, but I suspect it is forgotten now, there will probably be another one like Iraq probably. But it is in the past now, the priority should be rebuilding Iraq.

Iraq is in it's democratic infancy, they are still figuring things out. I get your point, the politicians up for elections are corrupt. But to be fair, I think you are setting the bar too high in terms of their past record. Corruption is rife there. I think it might be a little hard to find an Iraqi politician without a spotless record.
Whoever the next Prime Minister is his goal would be to stabilize Iraq to a point of providing basic necessities, like clean water and electricity.

 

[Maestro]

Stern, do you believe the transition in Iraq from dictatorship to democracy could ever have been supportable through an external invasion?

If so, how many civilian deaths in the process would you say is 'acceptable' to support that transition? Does it matter if it is militia's and 'terrorists' doing the killings deliberately rather than our own troops through 'collateral damage'.

Or would you be content to leave a genocidal state on its own till it collapses itself?

Stern is just trolling. He can't admit that anything good came of the war.

Either way, I have to wonder what happened to the days of old when kings and other dictators were interested in something other than annihilating the shit out of their population. Old-school Chinese Emperors, Kings of Europe and Persia. They actually tried to do something other than "let's see how many of race [x] I can kill off!"